Give customers a short list of reasons to pick from when they cancel. Every cancellation then comes back with an answer you can count and compare, and the reason lands on the order itself in Shopify, so you do not have to go looking for it.
Two ways to ask
Ask why (a switch, off by default) makes the customer type a reason before the cancellation goes through. With it off, the box is still there, marked optional.
Cancellation reasons (a list, empty by default) replaces the open box with a dropdown of your own reasons. Adding even one reason makes choosing one required, whether or not Ask why is on, because a list only makes sense if someone uses it.
How to set up your reason list
Open Editing Tools, go to the Tools tab and open Cancel order.
Find Cancellation reasons.
Type one reason per line, for example: - Too expensive - Ordered by mistake - Arrived too late
Check the preview beside the settings to see what your customer will see.
Click Save.
You do not need to add Other. It is always added at the end of your list, and you cannot remove it, so a customer is never stuck without a way to explain.
To go back to the open box, delete every line and save.
What the customer sees
The question Why are you cancelling? becomes a dropdown showing Select a reason, then your reasons in the order you typed them, then Other.
Picking one of your reasons is all they need to do.
Picking Other opens a box, Please tell us why, and they must write something. If they leave it empty, the cancellation does not go through.
This happens on the same screen where they choose where their refund goes and press Cancel my order, so the reason is collected at the moment of cancelling, not afterwards.
Where you find the reason
On the order in Shopify. The reason is added to the order's staff note, so it shows on the order page. Very long reasons are shortened to fit Shopify's limit.
In Tacey. The order's Reconciliation ledger records the cancellation with the reason.
If the customer chose Other, you see their own words, never just the word "Other".
What this does NOT do
It does not accept a reason that is not on your list. Anything else is refused.
It does not translate your reasons. Every customer sees exactly what you typed. Write them in the language your customers read.
It does not change which orders can be cancelled.
It does not change the money. The refund works the same way with or without a reason.
Frequently asked
Can I edit a reason after customers have used it?
Yes, but no record is kept of the old wording. Past cancellations keep the reason as it was recorded at the time. If you compare reasons over time, add a new reason rather than rewording an old one.
Is there a limit on how many reasons I can add?
Keep the list short enough to read at a glance. The settings page warns you if the list gets long.
Can I make the reason optional but still show my list?
No. Once your list has at least one reason, choosing one is required.
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